What is .science?
ICANN's records put the delegation of .science on November 15, 2014. Like most of the newer endings, it was applied for in the 2012 New gTLD Program round and its registry agreement was signed on September 11, 2014.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 6 name servers for .science, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .science haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over RDAP and WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.nic.science).
.science FAQ
What does .science mean?
.science is a generic top-level domain named for the word "science", and it's aimed at education & research. It doesn't belong to any country.
What is .science used for?
.science is mostly used for education & research. Like most gTLDs, it's a label of intent rather than a guarantee — check the site, not just the ending.
What country is .science?
None. .science is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .science domain extension?
dot Science Limited operates .science as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .science created?
.science was delegated to the DNS root zone on November 15, 2014.
Is .science a valid domain?
Yes. .science is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2014, so .science addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .science domain?
.science names are sold through ICANN-accredited registrars. Some gTLDs restrict who can register, so read dot Science Limited's policy if you're unsure.
Is .science DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .science.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed May 11, 2024. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
